Mother's Day at Lotusland

Published May 2, 2011 at 1:12 PM | Updated at 10:44 PM PDT on May 2, 2011

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LOVELY LOTUSLAND: Have you got your next decade's worth of Mother's Days mapped out? You love mom so much, so you probably do, we expect. And we expect you have a lot of gardens on the schedule. You could, in fact, probably visit a Southern California garden on each Mother's Day for a decade, and never repeat a place. But you may want to put a special asterisk next to Ganna Walska's Lotusland, the rambling Montecito spread that is indeed known for its lotuses. The spot's namesake blooms make a showing in July and August, but a special tea and tour are planned for Mother's Day, so we'd make a go of it sooner.

TEA AND TOUR: The elegant, oh-so-Montecito estate is serving tea at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 7. The price is $75, and that includes a tour (and note you'll want to make reservations, which is no surprise, given that we're discussing Mother's Day). And no worries on missing out on the lotus; you'll be able to admire Japanese maples, pink passion vines, and kangaroo paws (as well as several other things in full flower).